Geography
Why did few settlements develop in the Sahara?
The Sahara is a desert which means it is very dry, hot, has sand storms, and extremely limited resources to support a civilization.
How did the Niger River support trade?
It was a source for transportation with key trading centers located on it.
How was West African History preserved prior to writing?
Stories would be memorized and passed down orally.
What was the first West African kingdom that we studied?
Ghana.
Who was the Muslim ruler of Mali that made a pilgrimage to Mecca?
Mansa Musa.
What animal was used to help with crossing the Sahara ?
Camels.
What two West African products were traded the MOST in the trans-Saharan trade routes?
Salt and gold.
What is the purpose of a griot?
They are like a human library. A source of records and history for the people of a society.
How did Ghana raise money to pay officials?
By taxing trade goods as they came through their kingdom.
The Wangarans had a secret mine that produced vast amounts of what natural resource?
Gold.
Why did people in different vegetation zones trade with each other?
Vegetations zones can not provide all that a society needs and therefore forces trade.
What were two major advantages of the silent-barter system?
1. Language differences were not an issue
2. The Wangarans could keep their gold mine locations a secret
Give an example of oral tradition.
Answers will vary (ex: your father tells you a story which you remember and then tell to your son)
What are 2 advantages to living in a kingdom?
Protection from ouside enemies
Armies to protect trade routes
Sunni Ali was the first leader of which kingdom?
Songhai.
If a trader is traveling from North Africa, what geographic feature must be crossed before reaching the Sahara Desert?
The Atlas Mountains.
What vegetation zone is directly south of the Sahel?
Savanna.
Give an example of a proverb.
Answers will vary. (ex: a chatting bird builds no nests - this means that talking about action will get nothing done. The only way to achieve something is to take action)
What is the order (from first to last) of the 3 empires as they rose and fell in West Africa that we studied?
Ghana, Mali, Songhai.
Which Kingdom ended Ghana's reign and became the most powerful in West Africa?
Mali.
What geographic feature helped Jenne-Jeno to become a major trading center?
The Niger River.
What are 2 disadvantages of living in a kingdom?
paying tributes and taxes to the king
men being forced to join the king's army
What does the proverb, “A chatting bird builds no nests” mean?
It means talking about doing something is not the same as actually doing something. Actions speak louder than words.
According the primary source account from Leo Africanus, the trade of this product made lots of money in Timbuktu.
Askia.